Jean-Pierre Ginet (Ginnett) was born in Solaize, Rhône, France on 13 Aug 1798[1] into a farmer family.
He was engaged as a horse-breaker by Andrew Ducrow (one of the very first showmen) during his French tour whilst exhibiting in Lyon (Rhône, France). Jean-Pierre Ginet came back with him in England by fall 1823. Thereafter Andrew Ducrow bought the Astley amphitheatre in London) in 1824, where all the troup performed regularly. Jean-Pierre was in charge of training horses, and was known as "Master of the Horses". Jean-Pierre Ginet is mentioned in Astley's bills in Andrew Ducrow troup from Sept 1825. However, he did not appear as performing on his own in lay press, on contrary of his son John Frederick (reported as performing from 1832).
It is unclear whether Jean Pierre met his future wife Ann Partridge whilst touring with his new circus, visiting Southend or Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; or whether Ann first moved to London before they met. The couple had a son John Frederick Ginnett, christened the same day and place where his parents married (2 October 1825 in Lambeth).
Whichever happened, the couple did marry on 2 Oct 1825 at St. Mary's, Lambeth (he was recorded in the marriage record as "John Ginet"). After the marriage, Jean, his wife Ann (Partridge) Ginnett and children appear to have travelled widely across the UK and France presumably with the Andrew Ducrow troup, then later on their own.
Jean Pierre died in Jan 1861, and was buried on Feb 1st 1861 in Kensal Green cemetery[2]. 16 years later, his wife Ann (who died in 1877) was buried in the same plot.
The story of Jean Pierre Ginet being a French Napoleonic war prisoner is a nice story to tell as a performer, but appeared to be not true, based on : - incompatible age as an officer in cavalry in 1815 (Waterloo battle) and no record of him found as a soldier in the French Napoleonic soldiers database (Vincennes) - absence of laypress mentioning a JP Ginnett as performing - story as related in his son George Ginnett's funeral in 30 Nov 1907 (The Era)
French soldier, made prisoner at Waterloo batlle in 1815 & send to UK
Jean's son: John Frederick Ginnett was born in 1826 in Lea, Essex, son of a Frenchman, Jean Pierre Ginnett, founder of the circus. John made his circus debut in 1832, billed as the ‘Infant Ginnett’, and rode a ‘speeding horse’ in front of King William IV and Queen Charlotte during a performance at Brighton. According to the Brighton Herald, he was considered to be the ‘finest tight-rope dancer, ceiling walker and rider of his day’.
Ginnett arrived in Brighton in about 1876 with his wife Annie and four sons, one of whom, Louis J Ginnett, became a renowned artist and designer. John built his first permanent circus or hippodrome at Park Crescent Place. It became the Gaiety Theatre in 1890 and was eventually replaced by a block of flats in the 1930s.
His most impressive development was the building of the Hippodrome (later the Grand Theatre) at the top of North Road, near the corner of Queen’s Road. The building opened on 19 October 1891, and was built to commemorate the jubilee of the founding of Ginnett’s Circus in Nottingham in 1841.
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Thanks to provide me with the firstname of his brother supposedly coming with him in England